Salvation
by Piccolo999
Summary: Victoria Chase woke the day after the Vortex Club party wih no memory of the night before. Kate Marsh is about to suffer the same fate. What does destiny have in store for this unlikely couple? Alternate Universe in which no time travel happens. Max never left Arcadia Bay. Slight changes beyond that. AU. Victoria/Kate. Max/Chloe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Life is Strange, it belongs to DontNod, etc etc.

 **Author Note:** What can I say, I have unusual tastes, and like to play around with unlikely couples. As a warning because I don't know exactly how extreme this fic may get, there is a lot of abuse and rape in this story (not a sexual kind, but I still feel that it is rape, even if no sexual actions take place), so if that might offend you, please do not read any further. That said, I hope you do read, and that you enjoy. I have an idea for where this is going, so I'm hopeful it'll keep my interest. I am however curious to see if there is any interest in this fic, so please, kudos and comment to let me know if you like it and I'll go from there. Also, there will be Pricefield in this story, but not right away. If that's what you're here for, I hope you stick around for the ride, and I promise that it is coming. Thanks and again, hope you enjoy it!

 **Life is Strange**

Salvation

Chapter One

Through wafts of smoke, Victoria Chase looked with tired eyes at the animated action taking place on her television. She lounged on her bed, back half against the wall, cigarette held in one hand, whilst her other hand played with the hem of her pyjama top absently. There was an aura of misery in the dorm room, from the haphazardly strewn clothing, rumpled bed sheets speckled with cigarette ash, and overall disarray in what, under normal circumstances, was a generally tidy space. It wasn't just the room that looked to be in disarray either, as Victoria herself looked far from her best, with dark ringed eyes standing out on her usually well made up face.

This gloominess had been the status quo for over a month now, ever since the last Vortex Club gathering, or, more specifically, after Victoria woke up the following day, with no memory of the night before, and a sick, hollow feeling in her stomach. She had rough bruises on her arms and legs, but no other signs of physical trauma. No sign of sexual assault, just a dirty, disgusting sick knowledge that something had happened to her the night before.

Victoria had been drunk before, had been very, very drunk, but she had never experienced this total blackness of memory. A whole void of nothingness in her life she couldn't recall. This wasn't from being drunk. This was from being drugged. She knew it, but what could she do? Go to the police, and tell them what? She was pretty sure she hadn't been raped, at least not in the strictest sense of the word. They would take a report, sure, but not with any seriousness. Nothing would come of it; so all she could do was live with it, the knowledge festering inside her, hollowing her out day after day.

Taylor and Courtney saw the change in her, tried to help her, but when she told them her suspicions, she could tell they didn't seem convinced. They told her she had been wasted, and she was all over Nathan, apparently, but he had been a true gentleman in their eyes and after some time, he took her home to sleep it off. When Victoria asked Nathan, he confirmed their story word for word. So whatever had happened, it took place after Nathan left her here and went back to the party.

Perhaps she was wrong; perhaps nothing had happened after all. Perhaps the bruises came from Nathan trying to get her home. But Victoria didn't believe any of that. She knew something had happened, just knew, like a kind of sixth sense. That knowledge ate at her, devouring what confidence she had, replacing it with this pervasive fear. She withdrew from the social scene of Blackwell, only emerging from her room to go to classes, and she always made sure she was with someone, feeling slightly safer in numbers.

Despite her outward appearance, Victoria had never been the most confident person. She put on that façade to hide her own insecurities, as if acting tough and self-assured would somehow make it true. The youngest child of Nicholas and Charisma Chase, she had been forced to fight for attention her whole life, attention that invariably went to her very talented and successful older sister Louise.

Louise Chase was a high profile photographer, world renowned for her unique style and presentation, and many of her pieces proudly graced the walls of the Chase Space, as if her parents just couldn't let anyone forget how fabulous and gifted their eldest daughter was. What else was Victoria going to do but attempt to follow in those footsteps, in a vain effort to gain some admiration herself?

Yet here at Blackwell she was bombarded with evidence of her own mediocrity. Nathan had his own fantastic dark style. Max Caulfield, the selfie loving lesbian, exuded a simplistic approach that was nonetheless captivating. Kate Marsh wasn't much for photography, but it was clear her love lived elsewhere in her beautiful artwork. Meanwhile Victoria floundered in her pathetic attempts to emulate her sister.

Now even her false confidence had been stripped from her. She was just too tired and overwhelmed to keep it up. She moved through life like a zombie, saying little, feeling the weight of her rape pushing her down - for that was what it was, whether sexual or not. She felt defiled and weak and scared. And she hated herself for all of it.

Victoria was so defeated she couldn't even enjoy her favourite anime anymore. She watched dispassionately, taking drag after drag from her cigarette in an attempt to dull the feelings of despair curdling in her chest.

The knocking at her door startled her, and she almost dropped her cigarette, only just managing to catch it at the last second. She turned to face the door and called out with anger, but also a slight shake of panic, "what?"

The door opened and in stepped Taylor and Courtney, looking decked out in fashionable outfits, clearly ready to party. Taylor wore a slinky black dress with a low cut, showing off the tops of her breasts, the dress so short it also revealed plenty of thigh to drive the guys wild. Courtney had opted for a more casual look, but still looked fantastic in her designer jeans and shirt, the jeans tight to show off her legs, the shirt tucked into the jeans at the front with the top few buttons undone to show of her racy black bra.

Tonight was the Vortex Club's Saturday Night Spectacular, just one of the many events lined up over the next few months, all of them leading up to the year ending End of the World all night rager. It was also the first Vortex Club event since Victoria had been drugged.

"Hey Vic," Taylor said, leaning against the doorway, "what are you doing? Why aren't you getting ready?"

"Yeah girl, we're going to part-ay!" Courtney added, raising her arms above her head and swinging her hips exaggeratedly.

"I told you," Victoria replied, "I'm not going."

Courtney stopped dancing and looked at Taylor in alarm. Taylor shook her head. "We didn't think you were serious about that. Come on Vic, its no party without you. You have to come."

"No, I don't."

"Is this about that… thing?"

"If you mean when I was drugged," Victoria said bluntly, "then yeah, it is."

Courtney and Taylor exchanged another look. "Vic, come on. We know you're feeling off, but don't you think getting out and having a good time will make you feel better?"

"Yeah," Courtney added, "sitting in here all day," and here she looked around at the messy room with a slight wrinkle to her nose, "it can't be good for you."

Victoria sighed. She knew her friends were just trying to help her, trying to encourage her out of her newfound shell, but she also couldn't help but be hurt by their lack of faith in her. They clearly didn't believe she had been drugged.

"Please," Taylor begged, "just come out with us and you'll see that you'll start feeling better, I know it. You don't even have to drink anything if you're worried about that. And we'll be with you the whole time. Right Courtney?"

"Right!"

Victoria had to smile at that. Even if they didn't believe her, they still valued her friendship. It was nice, sure, but was it enough to give her the courage to brave another Vortex party so soon?

"I'm not ready," Victoria said softly, somewhat weakly using it as an excuse, "and I don't have anything to wear. I've not even showered. My hair is a mess…"

"Never mind all that," Taylor chimed in, rushing forward to take her hand as if she had already agreed to go. She hadn't, but it didn't look like they were going to give her a choice either way. And maybe Victoria was glad for that. Maybe they were right. Maybe getting out and having a good time would make her feel better. Maybe.

"Yeah Vic, we'll have you looking like your old self in no time." Courtney took her cigarette from her and stumped it out with a big smile. "We'll show everyone Victoria Chase is back, and she's still the Queen! Taylor, you get her washed up and do her hair, I'll find her something to wear. This is going to be great!"

Together they pushed and pulled her around until finally she was at the very least presentable. It was time for Victoria Chase to return to the Vortex Club.

(-)

This was a big mistake. Victoria huddled in on herself, feeling the swell of gyrating bodies pressing in around her, the flashing lights blinding her, the upbeat music deafening to her ears. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, the threat of so many people all around, the loud rumble of shouted conversations and thudding music making it very hard to think clearly.

Despite her words, Taylor had immediately pressed a drink into her hands. Victoria held it to her chest now like a live grenade. She had been here for at least an hour now, even though it felt like a lifetime, and she had yet to take a single sip. Courtney and Taylor didn't seem to notice, or if they had, didn't care. In fact, as soon as they'd arrived at the party, they hadn't paid much mind to her. To give them credit, they had been true to their word in one way, and hadn't left her side so far. That said, Victoria wondered why they'd even wanted her to come at all if all they planned on doing was ignoring her and talking to whatever dumb jock they could sink their hooks into. She felt like a puppy on a leash, terrified by it's foreign surroundings and ignored by its masters.

"What am I doing here?" Victoria whispered under her breath, looking down at the drink in her hands. Peer pressure, of course. Should she just drink and get it over with? But no, she shook her head. She couldn't do that, even if she had wanted to. The fear was too strong. She could feel sweat dripping down the nape of her neck, trickling between her shoulder blades, her flesh sticking to her cream blouse.

The panic was setting in, so she looked to Taylor for comfort, only to find her currently swapping spit with Duncan McIntosh. Wonderful. She tried to find Courtney with her eyes, but the other girl was nowhere to be seen. She was there just a second ago. Heart beating furiously in her chest, she scanned the crowd, hoping to find the familiar figure of her friend.

Victoria couldn't see Courtney anywhere, but she did see something else that caught her eye. Kate Marsh was currently leaning up against Hayden; legs wobbly as if she couldn't support her own weight. Hayden pushed her away with a laugh and Kate stumbled back into Zach. He grabbed Kate around the waist and Victoria saw him grab a handful of her ass. Shocked to the spot, she could only watch as Zach leaned down and claimed Katie's lips with his own. Even more surprising was the lack of resistance from Kate, the normally very prim and proper girl allowing herself to be groped and manhandled by Zach.

Alarm bells began ringing in her head, and before she knew it, Victoria found herself striding into the fray, pushing bodies aside, the drink in her hands sloshing about and spilling all over her expensive blouse (not to mention other people, who yelled out after her in protest), and yet she didn't care. She set her sights on Kate, who was now being tossed around by Hayden in a mockery of a dance. Disgust welled up inside her, and as she reached the trio, she called out, "stop it! Get off of her!"

Zach and Hayden turned surprised eyes to Victoria. She saw both of them appeared pretty glassy eyed, definitely drunk and probably high to boot, but she didn't care.

"Woah Vic, chill, we're just having some fun," Hayden protested.

"Yeah babe, chill," Zach added. "Plenty of room for both of you." He laughed as if he'd said something funny. "Come here baby."

When he reached for her, Victoria felt her chest tighten in fear, and she reacted on instinct, striking out with an open hand and slapping Zach in the face. He reeled back, shocked and obviously surprised, and most likely due to his drunken state; he lost his footing and fell onto his ass, causing a roar of laughter to break out in the vicinity. Hayden seemed to forget all about Victoria and Kate as he turned to laugh at his fellow Vortex Club member, and so Victoria used the opportunity to grab Kate around the waist and pull her away from the guys.

The exit sign in the distance beckoned, and before long she was pulling a stumbling Kate out into the chill night air. The emergency exit door shut behind her with a bang. Stars dotted the night sky beautifully, but Victoria paid them no mind as she continued to drag Katie away from the Blackwell gym and towards the girl's dormitory. The night was especially chilly, and before long both Victoria and Kate shivered with the cold.

"Hold on Katie, we're almost there," Victoria whispered into the out of it girls ear. Kate burrowed into Victoria's chest and let out a little moan. No thoughts of Taylor or Courtney remained; all she could do was focus on Kate, who had clearly been drugged, just like she had a little over a month ago at the last Vortex event. She couldn't think about the implications of that right now though.

With great effort on her part, Victoria dragged Kate all the way up to her room, the drugged girl more of a hindrance at this point. In the hallway, Victoria considered putting Kate in her room, but didn't want to scare the girl by having her wake in unfamiliar surroundings, and so she gently manoeuvred her into her own room. Victoria had never been inside this particular dorm room before, but she had no time to examine it right now. Instead she moved Kate over to her bed and softly laid her down. She paused for a moment, and then went to move away, only to find that at some point Kate had grabbed her hand. She hadn't even realised. She gently tried to disentangle herself, only for Kate to moan, "don't… go…"

Victoria felt her heart swell for the poor girl. She reached out to move a bang away from her face, and in that moment Kate moved her head and kissed her palm. Victoria froze, but Kate made no more movements. She could feel the tingle on her skin where the other girl's lips had made contact. After a few moments, she finished tucking the bang back and then stepped away. Kate turned on her side and burrowed into her pillow with a low sigh.

In the silence that followed, Victoria allowed herself a breath, and she suddenly realised how tired she was, as if she had run a marathon. The events of the past fifteen minutes played over in her mind again, every scary second. She couldn't believe how quickly her fear had been pushed aside. She had seen Katie in danger and just acted. She took another shuddery breath as the fear returned. Then she steeled herself. It wasn't over yet. She wasn't going to leave Kate alone tonight, that's for sure. She grabbed a nearby chair and sat down.

It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Life is Strange, it belongs to DontNod, etc etc.

 **Authors Note:** Okay, so I don't know shit about religion. Apologies to anyone that is religious in anyway if I ever get anything wrong. That said, it's my intent to not get into religion too much, as I don't feel qualified to really talk about it in any way. However, religion is a big part of Kate's character, and I don't want to ignore it either. I'm going to try and keep it simple. Also, given that this is an AU fic, I might take a few liberties with characters at times, so they may seem a little OOC, but hopefully not too much. I try to keep the core of the character intact. Hope you all enjoy this next instalment.

 **Life is Strange**

Salvation

Chapter Two

Kate Marsh was having a crisis of faith, or as close to one as she had ever before. For the last few months, since coming to Blackwell and meeting all these new people, she had been feeling things she hadn't felt before. Under the watchful eyes and strict regulations of her parents, her impulses were contained. Sure, she had thoughts - impure thoughts – but she was always too afraid to really embrace them. She never had the time to think too much about it, her days filled up with strict studying, church, family activities, and then 9 o'clock bedtime. Indeed it was only when she was lying in bed that those thoughts came to her, but she had always been able to resist indulging in them, as if the days firm regimen gave her the strength to defy her baser desires.

Now, however, she was alone at Blackwell, far from her family. Her routine was one of her own devising, and at first, she had tried to impose one, to follow her parent's guidance. It hadn't lasted. And the more she strayed, the more those thoughts and feelings intruded, at first just wiggling up to her in her down time. Before long, they began to pop into her head at the most inappropriate of times, during class, while she was trying to study, even during church.

It didn't help that the temptation was on such visible display. While she had attended an all girls school, the uniform had been very conservative. Here at Blackwell though, no uniform was enforced, and so the rest of her classmates showed up in varying styles of dress. Some of it was downright shocking to her naïve eyes.

Dana Ward in particular favoured a very revealing fashion sense, low cut tops, ripped jeans, and her cheerleading skirt was always scandalously short. Kate was pretty sure it wasn't regulation length, if that was even a thing, but no one called her on it. Not that she was against all of that, necessarily, and that was the problem.

Kate liked it.

And thus felt guilty about it. Her family would have a fit if they knew the obscene fantasies that plagued her daily. How her eyes feasted on the flesh of other girls, all of it displayed with a casualness that she was only now becoming to accept as commonplace.

It wasn't exactly a new revelation for her. Even when she had lived with her parents, she knew she liked girls. Ever since she was fourteen years old, and she sat behind Jennifer Sullivan, fascinated by the sheen of the raven-haired girls long flowing hair. It smelled of lilacs. Back then she had been able to ignore it, or pass it off as something else. It wasn't a crush. She was just envious of her beautiful hair. Yet, deep down, she always knew she was lying to herself. It was just easier that way.

At Blackwell though, those lies revealed themselves to be flimsy little things, blown away by the sight of Dana Ward's exceptionally long legs, dancing in her cheerleading outfit, and her full bosom bouncing enticingly. Imagines like those came to Kate all day long, as if they'd been seared into her memory, and made her feel strange.

Kate may have been naïve and sheltered, but she wasn't stupid. She definitely liked girls. And to make matters worse, she was pretty sure she didn't like boys the same way, so it wasn't like she could just ignore those feelings and focus on more acceptable ones. No, she liked girls. Exclusively. And that was a big problem.

Her church was very clear on it's position on homosexuality. Yet, Kate didn't feel like her desires were necessarily wrong. Sure, she had been taught that they were, but she was finding it harder and harder to understand why, hence her crisis of faith. It was altogether very conflicting. She didn't want to disappoint her family, but away from their regime, it all felt very silly. Her horizons had broadened since coming to Blackwell, and though she tried to stay faithful to her upbringing, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She really, really liked it.

Which is why she found herself attending an actual party. And not a dinner party either. A full on dancing party, with flashing lights and alcohol and loud music. Okay, so she didn't actually like the alcohol part so much. At least she was wary of it. She'd heard horror stories of getting so drunk you couldn't stand, so drunk you vomited uncontrollably, and that didn't sound fun. But one drink wouldn't hurt, would it?

Of course, the real reason she was here was Dana. The hyper friendly cheerleader had been pestering her to come out and party with her for months, since she arrived in Blackwell, in fact, and Kate had finally succumbed. She figured Dana saw her as a little bird she had to nurture and to be honest, Kate didn't mind that. It was sweet. And Dana was so nice. She never made her feel stupid or boring, even though Kate often felt that way when talking to the much more sociable and interesting girl.

Dana promised to keep her company for the party, so she wouldn't feel lost and alone. So far so good. When they'd arrived, Dana had got both of them drinks. They stood around their table for a while, talking, drinking and watching the rest of the people dance, until finally Dana took her by the hand and pulled her out to join them. Kate was reluctant at first, embarrassed, but the feel of Dana's hand in her own, and the encouraging smile on her face, helped to ease some of that embarrassment. Before long, Kate was smiling and laughing and dancing along, having so much fun she forgot all about her awkwardness. It didn't matter if she looked silly. She was with Dana, and she was having fun.

Kate wasn't sure how long they danced for, but several songs later, they returned to their table and drinks. Dana downed hers in one go. Kate took a more modest sip.

"Come on party girl," Dana teased good-naturedly, "you can do better than that. Down the hatch."

Feeling euphoric from all the dancing, Kate shrugged and thought, _why not?_ Chugging the beer was the last clear thing Kate remembered from that night, before she woke up in her dorm room in the early hours of the morning. She did remember small things, such as Dana arguing with someone, and then rough hands on her body, the stale smell of beer breath in her face, and a dizzying sickness. It all seemed to run together, with no clear picture, more like a set of abstract feelings, aromas and images. A small round black button sawn into dark blue fabric, whirling lights of varying colours, and the ridges inside of a plastic cup, up close and personal.

Then came the feeling of warm, soft arms around her, followed by a chill feeling on her skin. Something fuzzy and brown, like lying in a field of fur, but that couldn't be right, could it? She couldn't make the images make sense. The last thing she could recall was a sense of safety, the familiar smell of her room, mingled with another scent, one unfamiliar to her, almost like… strawberries?

When her mind returned to her, she was wrapped in the cocoon of her own bed sheets, still dressed in the clothes she had worn to the party, a simple cream coloured dress and jacket combo with black leggings. Her head ached phenomenally as she groaned and sat up. It took her a moment to register the person sitting in her desk chair, currently looking at her with a small smile.

"Victoria?" Kate asked, her voice raspy and barely audible. She felt terrible, which was probably why she wasn't freaking out at having Victoria Chase, the self-titled Queen of Blackwell, sitting in her room, and actually smiling at her, instead of her usual look of contempt.

"Hi," Victoria replied, her tone matching her smile, soft and gentle. Was this real? Was she hallucinating? "It's okay, you're okay."

"W-what?" Kate rubbed at her face, as if trying to wake it up. "What happened?"

Victoria looked momentarily panicked. Kate saw it and felt reality hit her. Wait, what had happened? She could barely remember anything. How did she get home? Last thing she remembered, she was dancing with Dana? No, they had finished dancing. She had downed the beer Dana had bought her. Why couldn't she remember anything clearly after that? Was this what it felt like being drunk? But she'd only had one drink, hadn't she?

"Katie," Victoria said, bringing attention back to her. "I'm so sorry. I think… I don't know how to say this nicely, so I'm just going to say it. I think someone drugged you."

 _Drugged?_

"Drugged?" Kate repeated her thought aloud, as if saying it aloud would make it make any more sense. "Why? Why would someone… do that? I… no… how do you know? I don't understand…"

Victoria got up, moving to crouch next to the bed. She reached out and tentatively touched one of Kate's hands. Her touch was so uncertain; Kate could tell Victoria didn't really know what she was doing. When Kate didn't resist, Victoria took a deeper breath and firmed her hold slightly.

"I'm so sorry, Katie." Victoria met her eyes with compassion. "I just know. Can you just… trust that I know the different between a drunk girl and a drugged one?"

Kate closed her eyes. The feel of Victoria's hand in hers was so familiar. And could she… yes, she could… that strawberry fragrance she remembered, it was coming from her, from Victoria. Kate opened her eyes again and looked at the crouched blonde by her bed. Victoria was wearing a fuzzy brown sweater… the field of fur. It made sense now.

"You brought me home?"

Victoria nodded.

"And you sat by my bed this whole time? Why?"

The Victoria she thought she knew, the one who lauded over everyone at Blackwell, the one that strut around like she owned the school, would never have done anything like that. But then, now that she thought about it, Kate couldn't remember Victoria being like that for the past month. Had she? Nothing came to mind. If anything, Victoria had been unusually quiet and soft spoken. How had she not noticed that earlier?

"I couldn't just let you… you were in trouble. I wasn't about to turn a blind eye to that. And… and I didn't even really want to be there myself. So I helped you home, and then… I didn't want to leave you on your own. I thought maybe…"

Kate had never seen Victoria so unsure of herself, of what she was saying. Several times she had stopped herself from saying something else, re-wording things at the last minute.

"What did you think?" Kate prompted.

"It doesn't matter," Victoria said, trying to change the subject. "You don't seem upset… are you okay?"

Kate thought about it. It was true; she probably should have been upset if what Victoria said was true. Someone had drugged her and, what, intended to rape her? Yet she felt oddly detached from it all.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm… in shock? I don't know. I still feel kind of out of it." Kate suddenly felt her head pound and rubbed at it with her free hand, grimacing.

Victoria looked sympathetic. "I think you should get some more sleep. It's like, five in the morning or something. You can get a few more hours. We can talk in the morning, if you want."

Kate nodded absently. "You… you aren't going to leave, are you?"

Victoria paused, as if thinking about it. "Not if you don't want me to?"

Kate felt really sleep all of a sudden. She laid back down, closing her eyes, and whispered, "please, don't go."

"Okay," Victoria replied.

She was still holding Kate's hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Life is Strange, it belongs to DontNod, etc etc.

 **Life is Strange**

Salvation

Chapter Three

The soft feeling of Kate's hand nestled within hers made Victoria feel a strange flutter in her chest. She felt anchored by it, stuck sitting by Kate's bedside, but oddly enough, she couldn't bring herself to disengage. It was peaceful. In order to not think about this turn of events too much, Victoria instead examined the room.

It was pretty much exactly as she had imagined it. The room was impeccable tidy, to the point that even Victoria felt impressed. It also drove home how lax she had been with her own room lately. She vowed to change that as soon as possible. Kate had a crucifix hanging above her bed and a bible on her bedside table, so no surprise there. What did catch her eye though was the cage on the dresser behind her. From her place on the floor, she couldn't really see inside, but she had noticed the cute little rabbit earlier. She thought about going to have a look, but that would mean letting go of Katie's hand, and plus, she was kind of tired herself. It had been a long night, after all.

Victoria laid her head down on the bed and closed her eyes. _Just for a minute_ , she thought, and then fell asleep.

(-)

Sunlight filtering in through the blinds woke Kate a few short hours later. She squinted against the harshness of the light, sitting up and holding her hand up as a shade. Her skull felt heavy and throbbed a little. It was then that she noticed the head of Victoria Chase, resting upon the edge of her bed, and the memory – or lack thereof – of the night before returned to her. She rubbed at her sleepy eyes and took a slow breath, trying to process what had happened, what Victoria had told her.

Someone had drugged her, and she could only assume the intention was to… to… she couldn't even think it. But it didn't need to be thought, did it? Why else would someone drug her? She felt a terrible chill come over her, and shuddered as the reality of what could have happened to her settled in. Then she remembered, it hadn't happened. Sure, the idea that she was so close to being victimised like that was horrible enough, but she had to remember that Victoria had saved her from that fate.

Even so, it was hard to focus on that, when the reality was so clear. Someone intended to do that to her, someone close, perhaps even a fellow student, or one of her teachers. That thought festered in her mind for a moment. She took handfuls of her bedding and tightened her fists, eyes closed, breath coming in shaky gasps. Thankfully, before she could fully embrace that fear, Kate felt arms come around her, and she opened her eyes to see that ocean of fluffy brown sweater she remembered from the night before. She laid her head down on Victoria's shoulder and brought her own arms up to clutch at her.

"Shh," Victoria soothed. "It's okay Katie. I know you feel scared, unsafe, but… but I'm here, and it's okay. I mean, it'll be okay… it…" Victoria trailed off weakly, and instead tightened her hold, as if trying to convey what her words couldn't. Comfort. Safety.

Kate took a deep breath. "Victoria…" she wasn't sure if she was asking a question, or merely acknowledging her presence. Her voice felt and sounded odd, like she was talking past a stone lodged in her throat. Victoria had hit the nail on the head. Kate felt unsafe, unsafe in the knowledge that someone at the Vortex Club party tried to do that to her, which meant someone who attending Blackwell, student or teacher. Someone she potentially had to face on a daily basis. Perhaps someone she knew. How could she face them, any of them, knowing that? Wondering if they were the ones… the thought left her feeling terrible fear.

It turns out it didn't matter if she actually had been… she had to at least think the word, face it… raped… because just the idea that someone could do that was enough to instil in her that dread. You never think it'll happen to you, but once it does, how do you go back? How do you return to the fantasy that it won't?

"Katie?" Victoria's voice was soft and soothing in her ear.

"I'm s-sorry," Kate replied, sniffling, pulling away and wiping at her face, smearing tears she wasn't aware she had been shedding. She hoped she hadn't made a mess of Victoria's nice cardigan. "I didn't mean to… to cry all over you. I… I guess it finally hit me… oh…"

Kate suddenly felt her stomach churn, and before she could process it, she was vomiting all down the side of her bed. The vomit was mostly liquid and what little food she had eaten the day before, and burned coming up. She leant over, coughing and groaning for what felt like several minutes, but was in fact only about thirty seconds. Once she felt her stomach settle a little, she realised that Victoria was still beside her, holding her hair and gently stroking her back.

Kate glanced sideways at the other girl, feeling so pathetically grateful. "I'm so sorry… ugh… I can't… I feel sick…"

"It's okay," Victoria said, giving her a gentle smile. "I understand… it… it was… it was like this for me too."

Kate eyes widened. Did she mean…? "You mean… you? It happened to you too?"

Victoria closed her eyes and looked away from Kate, and then nodded. "About a month ago now… I woke up in my bed after a Vortex Club party and just… I felt wrong. Sick and confused and dizzy and… just… wrong, you know?"

"Oh jeez, I… I didn't know. I'm so sorry, Victoria, I… you… it really… happened to you…?"

Victoria swallowed heavily.

"I don't remember anything about that night. Just, you know, the usual Vortex Club party stuff. Having a good time with Taylor and Courtney and Nathan and everyone, dancing and drinking, and then… nothing else. I woke up in my bed and… I don't know Katie. I don't know if someone… raped me… I… oh God, this…"

Victoria hid behind her hand and sniffled. Kate looked on sympathetically, waiting patiently.

"I don't think I was… uh… sexually… I mean, you know?" Victoria looked at Kate with urgent eyes, begging the other girl to understand.

Kate was confused, but could see how hard talking about this was for Victoria. She definitely understood. She couldn't even think about it, let alone say it out loud. Victoria was so brave, in her eyes.

"You mean, you don't think you were…?" Kate prompted, the word raped - that word again - implied.

"No," Victoria replied, shakily. She sighed. "I know I must sound insane. Courtney and Taylor, they don't believe me either. I honestly don't know what to believe myself. I just know that I was drugged, I was. I know the difference between a hangover and… and… that… what happened to me… what you're feeling right now. I was drugged, and I… they did something to me. I know it. They… they came into my dorm room and they did something, or…" Victoria, again, let her words falter.

"I believe you," Kate said, firmly, reaching out to take Victoria's hand, this act a little hesitant. When Victoria didn't flinch away, she firmed her grip. "I believe you, Victoria."

Victoria sniffed again, and looked at Kate for the first time since she had opened up about her own experience, her eyes conveying so much gratitude it made Kate feel her heart swell, at least until her stomach gave another lurch, and she emptied the meagre contents of her insides once again.

(-)

Victoria could remember that feeling clearly, what Kate was feeling right now, sick and weak, head pounding in her ears. So it wasn't hard for her to sympathise with the other girl, to understand exactly what she was going through. As Kate retched again, Victoria moved to grab the little rubbish bin Kate kept by her desk.

"Here, be sick in this," Victoria said, handing her the bin. Kate took it gratefully, grasping it to her chest and hovering her mouth over it.

"I think… I'm okay… for now," Kate replied, between breaths of air. She still kept a tight hold on the basket though.

"Does your head hurt?" Victoria asked, remembering how she had felt. "Do you feel light headed? Dizzy? Like it's… hard to move?"

"My head hurts," Kate affirmed, giving a small nod, barely perceptible. "And I feel… yeah, like I'm underwater or something. Is this… what it was like… for you?"

"Yeah. It'll pass in a few hours. You should rest though. Try and sleep, if you can."

Kate seemed to take that as a command, and immediately lay back down, bringing her sick bucket with her and holding it tight like a stuffed toy. She looked up at Victoria. "Did you… sleep much? You must be tired…"

Victoria had to smile at that. It was so Kate Marsh, to be thinking of others, even in this situation. Before, Victoria might have laughed at the other girl's kind innocence, but now she just saw it for what it really was, a shining light of sweetness in a dark, terrible world - not to be laughed at, but instead cherished and protected.

"I'll be fine, Katie," she replied, "just try and sleep. I'll find something to clean this up," here she gestured to the vomit still dribbling down the side of Kate's bed, "and then, maybe, rest on your couch for a little."

"Oh no, I can't let you do that," Kate argued, trying to sit up. Victoria placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down.

"Yes, you can, and you will. Try and sleep. I mean it, Katie." Victoria made sure to put determination in her tone, showing Kate how serious she was about this. It wasn't like she was looking forward to cleaning up that vomit, but Kate was in no position to do it, and leaving it to sink in wouldn't help. Plus, it kinda smelled. Victoria wrinkled her nose just at the thought.

"Are you… sure?" Kate asked, but the fight had gone out of her voice.

"Yes. Now you sleep, " Victoria ordered, sounding much more like her old self than she had in the past month.

"O-okay." Kate finally gave in, closing her eyes and curling her knees up, as close to her chest as she could get them, what with the bucket being in the way.

Victoria watched her for a few moments; tracking the rise and fall of her chest, the wafting of a stray strand of hair, blowing with each inhale and exhale. Then she set about looking for something to clean up the mess with. _Oh , how the mighty have fallen_ , she thought, sardonically. Strangely, she didn't mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Life is Strange, it belongs to DontNod, etc etc.

 **Life is Strange**

Salvation

Chapter Four

Victoria spent the whole of Sunday with Kate, taking care of her as she recovered from her drugging and subsequent sickness. As it had been with Victoria's own sickness, the effects seemed to pass after a few hours, and then it was just a matter of resting to regain strength.

For the first few hours, Victoria napped on Kate's couch, using her arms as a makeshift pillow. It wasn't exactly ideal, but she still didn't feel comfortable leaving Kate alone. She did manage to get a few hours though, so she wasn't completely exhausted when Kate woke up late in the afternoon.

They sat on Kate's bed and talked, all about the events of the night before, about Victoria's experience, and what it meant. Victoria reassured Kate that she didn't think the intent was a sexual assault, at least not of the strictest sense, but she had no idea what the goal had really been.

At one point early in the evening, there was a knock at the door, and the voice of Dana Ward called through the door, "Kate, you there?"

Victoria motioned for Kate to stay in bed, and went to answer herself. When she opened the door, a brief look of confusion came over Dana's face. "Victoria?"

"Can I help you?" Victoria asked, her voice even, perhaps a little chilly. Kate had told her that she had attended the Vortex Club party with the cheerleader, that the other girl had promised to keep her company, and that she couldn't remember what had happened to separate them. Safe to say, Victoria held Dana at least partly responsible for what had happened to Katie.

"Kate?" Dana called into the room, unable to keep the note of concern from her voice.

"Victoria," Kate said, from the bed, "let her in please."

Victoria stepped back, reluctantly. She found herself feeling incredibly angry with Dana, a feeling she was all too familiar with, but one she hadn't felt in a long time. Fear had been the overwhelming emotion she had been feeling for the past month, but now, seeing Dana, knowing how she had put Katie in harms way, it was like a cap had been released, and all that anger that normally filled up Victoria, but had been held down by her fear, was released in a torrent. She wanted to scream at the other girl, call her out on how stupid she had been, leaving Kate all alone at the party, but she somehow managed to hold it all in. Kate wouldn't want her to, for one, and this wasn't the place to do it.

Dana entered the room, clearly relieved to see Kate. "Kate, hi, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I'm so sorry for flaking on you at the party. Juliet just had to come pick a fight with me during the party, and I know I said, well, forget all that. I let you down, and there is no excuse for that. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay…"

Victoria watched Kate's expression flicker, saw clear as day how upset she was, how she was completely not okay, but Dana didn't seem to read that at all. She was convinced when Kate replied, her voice full of false assurance, "I'm fine, Dana. Thank you for coming to check on me."

"Good, good," Dana said. The cheerleader cast another glance at Victoria, obviously very curious as to her presence, but she didn't question it. Instead she looked back at Kate. "Next time, I promise I won't leave your side, no matter what. I mean it. I owe you one fantastic time, okay Kate?"

How Dana didn't see the fear in Kate's eyes when she mentioned a next time, Victoria would never understand. Kate forced a smile. "Okay."

"Awesome. Okay. So," again, she flicked her inquisitive eyes to Victoria, even as she was backing up out of the room, "I'll see you later then. Bye."

"Bye," Kate called as she left.

And the she was gone. Victoria shut the door behind her, more forceful than she indented, still feel that anger coursing through her body. The door thumped loudly in the small room, making Kate jump a little. Victoria sheepishly looked over at her. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, frowning.

"Yeah… no… no, I'm not." Victoria moved to crouch by the bed, looking Kate in the eyes. "I'm furious. I'm so damn furious at Dana for leaving you alone at the party. If she had just stuck with you like she promised, you would never have been… drugged like that… and you wouldn't have been in the position you were in when I found you."

Kate shook her head. "It's not her fault. She didn't know."

Victoria reached out to take Kate's hands in her own. "You're too nice sometimes Katie. You forgive too easily. You had no one else at that party except Dana. She left you alone, out of your element, and put you at risk. Even if what happened didn't, it's still a terrible thing to do to a person. She ditched you because, what, Juliet got mad at her for something, yet again, and she had to placate her friend? What about you? She didn't even think about you before rushing off, I bet."

"You don't know that… I don't remember what happened… she… she might have…"

"But she didn't. Whatever you're going to say, whatever excuse you're going to make for her, she didn't do it, because if she had, we wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be in your room, I wouldn't have spent the night, and I wouldn't have had to drag you out of that party, so out of it that you could barely walk."

Victoria sighed.

"Look, I know you like Dana. And maybe she isn't a terrible person, maybe she just got distracted, maybe she's just dumb and she didn't think, but I don't care. She put you in danger and damnit, that pisses me off."

Kate was looking at her with that same curious expression Dana had worn. "Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why does it… you know? Make you angry. Why do you… care so much about me all of a sudden? You never did… before."

Victoria couldn't meet the earnest, honest and curious expression reflected back at her from Kate's eyes. She looked away, focusing on her hands, still wrapped up with Katie's, and wondered, for the first time, why she cared so much.

Why did it make her so angry? Was it just that she could relate, having gone through the same thing? Or was it something else? Was it because she had always seen Kate as this thing of pure decency, like some rare flower blossomed amongst a field of ordinary tulips? And to have that decency, that beauty attacked in such a way was like the ultimate act of evil to her?

If she was being honest with herself, she had always been jealous of Kate. Of how easily she seemed to radiate that decency, how easy being kind came to her. Victoria had told herself that Kate was just naïve, and weak, and so laughed at her for the very thing she admired most about her, because she didn't want anyone to know how she really felt. How she wished she had the confidence to just be that kind, and not worry what anyone thought about her.

Not worry how her sister would laugh at her for being so weak.

The answer, then, was all of the above. Victoria could relate, after having suffered through the same thing, but she also cared deeply for the other girl, and wanted to protect her inherent decency, and not let anything tarnish it. The anger came from feeling like she had failed this, without even trying. For letting her own jealousy and insecurity prevent her from treating Kate the way she had always deserved to be treated.

"I always cared, Katie… I just…" Victoria couldn't think of a way to say it, without sounding like a total loser, and so found the words stuck in her throat.

"What?" Kate prompted after a few seconds.

"I just… know how it feels, to be in your position, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy." Victoria cursed herself for chickening out on telling Kate the full and honest truth.

"Oh." Kate's face had fallen, her expression one of deep sadness as she pulled her hands out of Victoria's grip.

 _Oh, shit_ , Victoria thought, sounding the words back over in her head, and realising how Kate must have took them. _Does she think I mean her?_

"Katie, no," Victoria climbed back up onto the bed, taking Kate's face between her hands, "I don't mean you. You're… uh…"

"It's okay," Kate said, fighting tears, "it's not like I thought we were friends…"

 _Fix this, Victoria!_ Her mind screamed at her.

"Katie, we… we _are_ friends! I mean, I know we haven't always, you know, gotten along perfectly. I've done and said things… I can make no excuses for that… but… the truth is that I don't hate you, not even close, and me saying those things… it's not on you, it's on me. I actually like you, Katie… admire you in many ways. You're always so kind, even when you don't have to be, and you have values and principles that you stand by, no matter what. Not to mention how great an artist you are! So… please don't think that… that I don't want to be your friend. Fuck Katie, I spent all night last night, fighting sleep, determined not to leave you alone for a second because I couldn't bare the thought of something happening to you while I slept. Doesn't that show… I might not be good at saying how I feel… but doesn't that show how I feel?"

After this speech, Victoria, feeling her cheeks a bright shade of red, fought to maintain eye contact, trying desperately to convince Kate of the sincerity in her words.

Kate was looking back at her, no longer fighting the tears, but allowing them to glide down her cheeks. "Victoria," she whispered, voice choked with emotion. "You're… better than you think… at saying how you feel." And she smiled.

Victoria couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up and out of her mouth, a laugh of relief and happiness. She smiled back. They remained in that position, smiling at each other for a few moments, until finally, nervously, and with slight embarrassment, Victoria pulled her hands away from Kate's cheeks and glanced away.

"Thank you, Victoria."

Victoria didn't know what to say, so she just smiled again.

For the rest of the evening, the two girls talked well into the night, losing all track of time, until finally they both let out simultaneous yawns, and realised how tired they were.

"Wow, it's getting pretty late, isn't it?" Kate said, hand over her mouth as another yawn threatened to escape.

Victoria looked out of the window, where she could see, just through the blinds, sunlight setting with a red and orange glare. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So, erm," Kate fumbled, picking at imaginary lint on her blanket. "I guess you, ah, have to be going soon?"

Victoria looked over at her, studying the nervous expression dominating the other girls face. It couldn't have been more obvious that Kate did not want her to leave, and Victoria understood that completely. The first night after her own ordeal, Victoria didn't sleep a wink, too afraid to close her eyes, lest someone come back to finish what they had started the night before. In hindsight, not likely, perhaps, but to her it seemed all too possible. It took several sleepless nights before she finally crashed due to exhaustion, and eventually, over time, she learnt how to sleep again. Even so, she was still plagued with nightmares. Kate had all of this to look forward to, except, the difference was that she wasn't alone in dealing with it.

Victoria didn't want her to be alone in it. She wished she had someone to help her through that pain, and if she could be that person for Kate, she was going to do it. Which is why she looked her clear in the eyes and said, "Not if you don't want me to."

Kate suddenly hugged her, reaching across the bed to wrap her arms completely around her, and buried her face into Victoria's shoulder. "Please stay," she begged, voice muffled, but clear enough.

"Of course," Victoria replied, reassuringly, hugging her back. "You don't mind if I, ah, go and get a pillow and stuff from my room though, do you? You can come with, I won't leave you alone."

Kate pulled back and looked at her, confused. "A pillow?"

"Yeah, I mean." Victoria gestured to the couch. "Using my arms last time wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep."

"Oh." Kate looked down into her lap, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. "You don't… you don't have to sleep on the… uh… couch, if you don't want to…?"

Victoria smiled at how shy and cute Kate was being as she offered to share her bed. Victoria never would have asked, but she was glad that Kate offered. She really didn't want to sleep on that couch again.

"Are you sure?" Victoria was going to make sure though.

"Y-yes," Kate confirmed, with a small stutter.

Victoria used a finger to tip Kate's head up and meet her gaze.

The two locked eyes.

"Thank you, Katie."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Life is Strange, it belongs to DontNod, etc etc.

 **Life is Strange**

Salvation

Chapter Five

The night went better than Victoria expected. Kate only woke once, crying out with a jolt and waking the both of them. She quickly pulled Kate close and held her, attempting to soothe her with a soft voice. Eventually, Kate's breathing turned even, and Victoria relaxed a little. She kept a close hold after that, but thankfully the rest of the night passed with no more disturbances, and the two girls woke as the sun rose, limbs entangled, Kate's head buried in Victoria's shoulder.

Victoria was pulled to wakefulness as Kate stirred. She opened her eyes to see her sheepish looking bedmate gazing down at her, her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"Morning," Kate said, running a hand through her messy bed hair.

"Nghm," was all Victoria could manage. She wasn't a morning person. The sun was too bright shinning through the blinds, the sounds coming from the hall outside too loud, and Kate just seemed way too coherent already. _Not fair_ , Victoria thought grumpily, squinting her eyes groggily up at Kate.

Kate gave her a small smile, and then climbed out of the bed, leaving the whole space for her, the sheets all her own. Snatching the opportunity, Victoria pulled them close around her body and rolled over, burying her face into Kate's pillow and sighing contentedly. Did she actually hear a giggle from across the room? Victoria dismissed the idea, too tired to pursue it.

She may have gotten a few more minutes sleep, she wasn't sure, but finally she was brought out of her slumber again by a gentle shake on her shoulder, and Kate's voice, soft as a whisper, "Victoria? You'll be late for class if you sleep any longer…"

"I'm up, I'm up," she lied, or tried to, mumbling the words into the pillow. She wasn't sure they were entirely comprehendible.

"I'm going to go and get a shower," Kate said. If Victoria had been more awake, she might have heard the breaking in Kate's voice, the hesitation and fear, but she was too out of it to notice and just made a non-committal noise. She figured Kate took it as an affirmative when she heard the door close a few moments later.

(-)

Kate couldn't believe she had actually spent the night with Victoria Chase, slept in the same bed as Victoria Chase, snuggled up to her like she was some kind of cuddly teddy bear. Waking up with her face buried in the crook of the Queen of Blackwell's neck, her hand dangerously close to her… gosh, she couldn't even think it! She would never have thought it possible, and yet there she had been.

Now she was trying not to think about it too much. Her face felt like it was on fire still, as she stood before her door, knowing she had to walk through it if she wanted to get that shower she needed. The problem was; she hadn't left her room since the night of the party, the night it happened.

Rationally, she knew there was nothing to fear. Nobody was going to attack her in the morning, out in the corridor or in the showers, or later during class. She was safe, at least during those times, and yet she hesitated. Knowing that was one thing, but overcoming the fear of the possibility, however unlikely, was another thing entirely.

It felt like she spent hours standing in front of that door, trying to bring her hand up to open it, when in actuality it was only a few seconds. She had to remind herself that she was okay, that she was going to be okay, that Victoria would never let anything happen to her, that she had friends out there… Max, Alyssa, Stella… friends that cared about her. She wasn't alone. She had to be brave. She had to face the fear and overcome it, and not allow herself to be conquered by it.

Victoria had been through much worse, and she hadn't fallen apart and become a social recluse. She was strong and brave. Kate knew she could be that as well. She could take strength from Victoria, from her friends, and open the door.

She did, and the world rushed up to great her. It was almost like she had unplugged her ears, and suddenly she could hear everything clearly, the noise of chattering bodies, the distant blaring of music through walls, and shouting from the floor above.

Feeling panic beginning to set in, Kate didn't know what to do, but then Max's door opened across the way, and out came her friend, followed immediately after by Chloe Price, the two lovebirds holding hands and laughing close about something. Chloe, not one to be shy, spun Max around to pin her against the wall and claim her lips, as if she wanted to tell the world, 'back off, she's mine!'. Max caught sight of Kate though, and pulled free from the embrace to greet her with a wide smile.

"Morning Kate," she said, a blush to her face. Though Chloe was not afraid of public acts of affection, Max still seemed to be hesitant about it.

The sight of her friend was enough to make Kate feel strong enough to step outside, and so she did, closing the door behind her. "Hi Max. Chloe."

"Sup?" Chloe replied, leaning casually on the wall beside Max, so languid and free. Chloe always made her feel timid, not because she was mean or anything, but simply because she was so confident and intimidating.

"O-oh, erm, not much. Just… going for a shower."

"Cool." Chloe smiled a rakish grin, as if going to the shower was the most awesome thing in the world.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Max asked, looking at her closely, a small crease between her brows.

"Y-yeah, I… I'm okay." Could Max see she was different now? Was it so obvious? Writ on her face? In the way she stood? "I really need to shower. Thanks for asking though. Bye."

And then Kate was rushing away, legs taking short fast steps, carrying her around the corner. She heard Max call from behind her, "okay, see you…" and then the bathroom door shut behind her and she was alone. Alone. In the bathroom. Empty bathroom. But was it? She felt the need to check, and so examined each stall, confirming what the silence had already told her. The bathroom was empty. For now.

Kate picked the stall nearest to the door (closest to the exit) just in case, pulled the curtain behind her, and then quickly undressed. The longer she was out here, the more in danger she would be. As she fumbled with the shower knobs, not caring if the temperature was right or not, just wanted to get it done, she was hit with a spray of scolding hot water right on her chest and cried out, pulling away from the spray and cupping a hand to her scolded breast.

Taking a few deep breaths, she attempted to calm herself, pushing the tears that wanted to escape away. She would not cry. She had to relax. Nothing was going to happen.

"You're okay, Kate," she whispered to herself. "You're okay. Nothing is going to happen."

After taking a few more calming breathes, Kate adjusted the shower to a more reasonable temperature and then began the process of washing. She may have cried a little under the steady stream of the shower, but no one would have been able to tell. All in all, she managed to get through the process without a complete breakdown and panic attack.

(-)

When the grogginess passed, Victoria rolled onto her back, looking up at the unfamiliar ceiling of Kate's room. It took her a moment to fully realise that she was actually alone in the room. Kate was gone. Her words came back to Victoria.

"I'm going to go and get a shower," Kate had said. She had gone. Alone.

Victoria felt a bubble of panic in her chest, and suddenly wide awake, she shot out of bed, heading for the door without a second thought. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she was probably overreacting, that Kate would be fine alone, but a much more dominant voice drowned that one entirely. This one said that she was stupid and selfish to have let Kate go alone, so soon after what happened.

Victoria flew out of Kate's room, and bumped right into Maxine Caulfield, knocking the smaller girl off her feet. She would have hit the ground, if not for the supporting arms of her girlfriend, Chloe Price.

"Watch it, bitch!" Chloe snapped at her, her eyes reflecting her scathing tone.

Victoria had to take a step back to avoid tumbling over as well, while those words echoed in her ears, sparking anger. "What did you just call me, you trashy fucking dyke?"

Anger blazed into Chloe's eyes, like a mirror, reflecting her own. "B. I. T. C. H. Bitch. Get it this time, princess?"

While this was happening, Max righted herself, pulling out of Chloe's arms and looking uncomfortably between the two. Her eyes lingered on Victoria, and then the door she had emerged from, and the conclusion caused her eyes to widen, confusion setting in.

"I'm surprised you can spell it. Did your two brain cells mate during the night and spawn little baby cells?" Victoria shot back, smirking. It felt surprisingly good to let out her inner bitch, and Chloe Price was the perfect person to do it. Unlike most everyone else at Blackwell, Chloe never seemed afraid of her, or her acid tongue. In fact, she gave as good as she got. While that normally infuriated Victoria, today she found herself actually welcoming it. "Or did your hipster girlfriend give you spelling lessons in return for some good carpet munching? Is that what you two have going on?"

Victoria looked between the two, goading. It seemed to work, as Chloe snarled and moved to step forward, hand raised. Victoria wasn't expecting that much of a reaction, and stepped back as well, fearful of the blow. But it never came, because Max stepped in the way and said, "Chloe, stop. It's fine. Ignore her." Max looked up into Chloe's blue eyes, until the other girl looked down at her. "Please?"

Most of the fight went out of Chloe then, and she stepped back with a huffed, "fine!"

Max turned to look at Victoria, her own anger evident on her face, yet controlled. "What were you doing in Kate's room?"

 _Shit_ , Victoria thought, realising she had no way of explaining that - nothing that would satisfy the dyke duo anyway. The truth was out of the question. It wasn't her place to tell them that.

"None of your business," Victoria replied, the only thing her mind could conjure up on such short notice.

"It is my business," Max returned. "Kate is my friend. Why were you in her room? What's going on?"

Victoria sighed. The little dork would never let it go, would she? Not only that, she needed to go check on Kate, and she couldn't while Maxine stood in her way, her guard dog standing behind her a scowl and her arms crossed. She couldn't afford a prolonged argument.

"It's not my business to tell you, Maxine. You'll have to ask Katie."

Max narrowed her eyes, searching Victoria's face.

"Do you mind?" Victoria gestured ahead. "I have places to be."

It looked like Max thought about fighting her on that, but eventually, she simply stepped aside. Her voice was quiet, clearly not comfortable being so assertive, when she said, "if you do - or have done - anything to hurt Kate, I'll make you pay."

Victoria was definitely surprised by those words, rendered speechless. Under different circumstances, she might have laughed at the weak threat, but no, instead she just stared at the smaller girl, finding herself feeling admiration for Max. She was usually so shy, hardly ever talking back, or drawing attention to herself. For her to do so now showed that she obviously cared for Kate, and Victoria had to appreciate that.

Chloe, however, seemed to take her stare to mean something else entirely. Perhaps disbelief that Max would, indeed, stand up to her. Perhaps she thought Victoria doubted Max's words, or her ability to enforce them, which would explain why she stepped close to Max, locking her heated gaze onto the eyes of her perceived enemy, saying with a look, 'as will I.'

Victoria simply nodded, and then moved past them. She didn't look back as she headed towards the showers.


End file.
